Avondale-

Avondale-Waterview Historical Society Incorporated

January - February 2019

Newsletter Prepared by Lisa Truttman, President and Editor No. 96

(they were removed from St Ninians to that church by

Guest Speakers the parish in the 1980s when St Ninians was sold to Auckland City Council).We had Derek Battersby as our Guest Speaker inDecember — invited as someone with a long associa- In my opinion, this is a matter of aesthetic and structur-tion with the New Lynn area as a former borough coun- al alteration of the building, and as such is up to thecillor and Waitakere City Councillor, and we had hoped Avondale Community Society and the Local Board/he would talk a bit about New Lynn, and perhaps Auckland Council to decide on and to find funding.Avondale, from past decades. I did introduce him alongthose lines. Unfortunately, he thought he had been in-vited in his capacity as a Whau Local Board member, St Ninians stuff, part 2and so his talk was about proposed Avondale develop-ment. Definitely just a case of crossed wires. One of our committee members, John Adam, is a land- scape historian and author of a book on the horticulturalA couple of members walked out, though, one strongly history of Rosebank commissioned by AWHS someexpressing his disappointment that it wasn’t history. years ago, Just before the December meeting, I met upThere will always be days when we aren’t in control of with him outside St Ninians and beside the graveyardwhat our guest speakers come up with on the day, fence to hopefully find out more about the war memori-unfortunately. al trees.

The speaker for February will be Joanne Graves from According to the centenary booklet for St Ninians,Auckland Libraries. published in 1960:

“1946 - In this year a portion of the Church grounds

beside the Cemetery was set aside and dedicated as a St Ninians stuff, part 1 Memorial plot. On it were planted five trees in memory of the five Bible Class boys ... The ceremony was at-AWHS member Trevor Pollard during our December tended by many friends of the Church, and the Ladies'meeting brought up yet again that he wants to see cop- Guild, whose members arranged the ceremony, after-ies of the Ingram family stain glass windows installed at wards served afternoon tea in the hall.the building, plus the Presbyterian “burning bush” sym-bol painted. I have advised him on multiple times be- Order of Tree Planting:fore now that AWHS do not own the building, we only 1. RIMU - for Corporal A McK. Weir, planted byhire it from the Avondale Community Society, who in Flight-Lieutenant James Weir.turn lease it from Auckland Council, and that continual- 2. POHUTUKAWA - for Sub Lieutenant Arthurly coming to us is not going to advance his project. Thompson, planted by James Bird. 3. TOTARA - For Flight-Lieutenant Walter Clark,Still, I invited him to provide details of what he wants planted by Flying-Officer Cecil Rainey.to see done, and I’d forward it through to both the 4. KOWHAI - for Sergeant-Pilot Alex Mee, planted byWhau Local Board and the Avondale Community Soci- Warrant Officer Graham Burgessety for those organisations to make their decision. 5. FLOWERING CHERRY - for Private Alex Pringle, planted by Colin McGregor.”Trevor told me verbally before Christmas that he has aprice of $19,000 for replacement copies of the win- The rimu does not appear to have survived, anddows, the originals at the moment at the Union Parish descendants of the flowering cherry have appeared else-Church on Rosebank Road, next to the Nafanua Hall where in the graveyard, but the other three of the five trees do appear to date from the planting in 1946, the Next meeting is kowhai today inside the later white picket fence. Saturday 2 February 2019, at 2 pm, John is looking into things and will report back, but it St Ninians Hall, St Georges Road, does look at this stage like those trees form a war Avondale. memorial grove — at the moment, whether the trees areprotected under Auckland Council’s Unitary Plan The totara was planted for Flight Sergeant Walterschedule is not known. Norman Clark, son of William Rogers Laurie Clark and Mary née Rainey. He attended Avondale School and MtThe rimu was planted for Alexander McKenzie Weir Albert Grammar. He was killed in an aircraft accident,who died 3 December 1942 while a POW in Italy. He aged just 22.was the son of James Weir and Agnes née Ingram ofGilfillan Street in Blockhouse Bay. James and Agnes The kowhai was possibly planted for Sgt. Alexanderare buried in the graveyard. Coutts Mee of the RNZAF, who was killed during air operations 7 May 1941, aged 23. The connection withThe pohutukawa was planted for Sub-Lieutenant Arthur Avondale is still not certain.George “Tommy” Thompson, whose father Rev Freder-ick Arthur Thompson served at St Ninians from 1925 to The flowering cherry was planted for Private Robert1929. Alexander Pringle, who died during the defence of Egypt in the Western Desert, 4 July 1942. He was theAIRMAN KILLED son of Allan and Elizabeth Pringle, and lived inSUB-LIEUT A G THOMPSON Roberton Road, Avondale.

Official advice has been received by the Rev and Mrs F Once we have more information, and if the SocietyA Thompson, of 4 Cockburn Street, Grey Lynn, of the agrees, we’ll get quotes for an interpretive sign to bedeath of their son, Sub-Lieutenant Arthur George installed at the grove, and approach the Local Board("Tommy") Thompson, Fleet Air Arm, as the result of and Council for permission, possible funding assis-an aircraft accident. tance, etc.

Sub-Lieutenant Thompson was on the reporting staff of A (Nearly) Accidental Christmas Postingthe A uckland Star for three years and joined the FleetAir Arm in September, 1940. … After rigorous training AWHS member Dawn Moffatt, who runs the raffle andin many phases of naval work, as well as in flying, he trading table at our meetings, asked me to pass on thereceived his commission in September, 1941, two following story to you all. Just before Christmas, onemonths after gaining his wings. ... particularly hot day, she was on her way to post an envelope at her local postbox. At the time, a postalDuring his 12 months training in England he had nu- employee was there emptying the box, and Dawn camemerous adventures in bombing raids. He left England in up to him, asking if her envelope could go in his bag asApril, 1942, on his twenty-third birthday for an over- well. Just as he said yes, and reached out his hand forseas station … His cheery nature and easy competence the mail, Dawn felt the effects of the heat and passedin sport and study earned him an exceptionally wide out, thankfully into the kind gentleman’s arms, but near-popularity in a diversity of circles. ly into the mail bag. Don’t worry, Dawn’s fine, but definitely has an unusual Christmas posting tale to(Auckland Star 21 January 1943) remember!